1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image capture and transmission by a mobile communication device, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for capturing and transmitting consecutive still images that appear to be moving images.
2. Description of the Related Art
A user having a mobile communication device, or user equipment, that is subscribed and registered in a communication system may communicate with another communication device in the system via a communication path set by a Mobile Switching Center (MSC) within a service area formed by a base station (BS). However, the user equipment may be used for more than just communication with other user equipment.
Accordingly, mobile communication service providers have developed and offered a variety of supplementary services in order to increase the utilization rate of the user equipment and provide convenience for subscribers. For example, a mobile communication service provider may offer text messaging, multimedia messaging and radio on-line games as well as self-developed additional functions such as a phone-book, note taking, message writing, an organizer, games and a camera. One such supplementary service is a multimedia messaging service that allows a user to display or transmit both still images and moving images that have been captured and stored using a camera function of the user equipment.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional mobile communication system 1. With reference to FIG. 1, user equipment 10 moves freely in a service area formed by a base station 20 and in a service area formed by another base station (not shown) and communicates with other user equipment. The types of communications are determined according to signals transmitted by the user equipment; voice communications, text messaging (using symbols, numbers and graphics) and multimedia (including image signals, audio signals and text signals).
Another user communicating with the user equipment 10 is connected to a communications network through a communication path set by a mobile switching center (MSC) 30. If the other user equipment is subscribed to the current communications network, the connection to the communications network is via the self-set communication path. If the other user equipment is subscribed to a different communications network, the connection to the communications network is via a public network 40.
Communication modes formed between two users are classified as a real-time communication mode, which allows the user equipment to communicate in real time, and a non-real-time communication mode, which allows a user to check received data at the user's convenience. Generally, the cost according to communication channel occupation is higher in the real-time communication mode than in the non-real-time communication mode.
In particular, in the real-time communication mode, the longer communications are performed, the longer a channel is occupied and the higher the cost. However, in the non-real-time communication mode, when the amount of data transmitted is large, channel bandwidth is wider, thereby occupying a plurality of channels at the same time and increasing channel occupation time and cost.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a conventional method for capturing and transmitting images with user equipment in a mobile communication system. When user's instruction to initiate image capture is inputted through an input device such as a keypad, the user equipment 10 drives a capturing means, such as a camera, to capture one or more images of a subject (S210). If a plurality of still images is captured, the images are sequentially stored in a designated storage region (S220). Thereafter, if the user desires to transmit the stored images (S230), the user equipment selects specific still images selected by the user (S240), designates an ID of the recipient and transmits the selected still images (S250). Accordingly, when a plurality of still images are transmitted, the processes (S240 to S260) will be performed repeatedly.
In the conventional art, the user equipment 10 limits files related to multimedia images, which are attached when transmitting an MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) message, to a still image and a moving image. Accordingly, transmission of information related to a moving subject is limited. It takes a long time with associated high communication cost to transmit and receive a moving image due to the large size. On the other hand, when a plurality of still images is transmitted, the still images are transmitted individually; a process that is not only inconvenient but also takes a long time.
Therefore, there is a need for a mobile communication device that transmits a plurality of still images that relate the motion of a captured subject in a manner that is convenient and cost-effective. The present invention addresses these and other needs.